Identification and Clinical Characteristics of Community-Acquired <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> in Patients Hospitalized for Moderate or Severe COVID-19 in Peru

<i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> has been described as a cause of serious community-acquired infections in tropical countries. Currently, its implications when simultaneously identified with other pathogens are not yet adequately understood. A descriptive study was conducted on hospitalize...

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Main Authors: Wilmer Silva-Caso, Giancarlo Pérez-Lazo, Miguel Angel Aguilar-Luis, Adriana Morales-Moreno, José Ballena-López, Fernando Soto-Febres, Johanna Martins-Luna, Luis J. Del Valle, Sungmin Kym, Deysi Aguilar-Luis, Dayana Denegri-Hinostroza, Juana del Valle-Mendoza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-03-01
Series:Antibiotics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/13/3/266
Description
Summary:<i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> has been described as a cause of serious community-acquired infections in tropical countries. Currently, its implications when simultaneously identified with other pathogens are not yet adequately understood. A descriptive study was conducted on hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of moderate/severe SARS-CoV-2-induced pneumonia confirmed via real-time RT-PCR. Patients aged > 18 years who were admitted to a specialized COVID-19 treatment center in Peru were selected for enrollment. <i>A. baumannii</i> was detected via the PCR amplification of the <i>bla</i><sub>OXA-51</sub> gene obtained from nasopharyngeal swabs within 48 h of hospitalization. A total of 295 patients with COVID-19 who met the study inclusion criteria were enrolled. <i>A. baumannii</i> was simultaneously identified in 40/295 (13.5%) of COVID-19-hospitalized patients. Demographic data and comorbidities were comparable in both <i>Acinetobacter</i>-positive and -negative subgroups. However, patients identified as being infected with <i>Acinetobacter</i> were more likely to have received outpatient antibiotics prior to hospitalization, had a higher requirement for high-flow nasal cannula and a higher subjective incidence of fatigue, and were more likely to develop <i>Acinetobacter</i>-induced pneumonia during hospitalization. Conclusions: The group in which SARS-CoV-2 and <i>A. baumannii</i> were simultaneously identified had a higher proportion of fatigue, a higher frequency of requiring a high-flow cannula, and a higher proportion of superinfection with the same microorganism during hospitalization.
ISSN:2079-6382